An Analysis of the Method of Performing Tahajjud Prayer and a Jurisprudential Examination of Its Congregational Practice

الملخص

Abstract

    Almighty Allah selected the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to guide humanity and to introduce the proper methods of worship. The Companions of the Prophet, the Tabi'un (Successors), and the Tabi' al-Tabi'in (Successors of the Successors) adhered to his practices step by step. However, in later periods, some individuals performed acts of worship according to their personal inclinations. The objective of this paper is to examine the method of performing Tahajjud prayer and to explore related issues. The research methodology employed in this study is library-based, using analytical and descriptive approaches. The primary concern of this study is to identify deficiencies in the practice of Tahajjud prayer and to propose solutions for addressing them. The findings of this research indicate that certain gaps exist in the performance of Tahajjud and Tarawih prayers, and in some cases, these discrepancies have led to disputes. The root causes of these issues are identified as a lack of religious knowledge, a departure from the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him), neglect of the practices of pious predecessors, and sectarian bias.There is no fixed number of Tahajjud prayer units; rather, its performance depends on an individual's energy and capability. The Prophet (peace be upon him) generally did not perform Tahajjud in congregation. However, on some occasions, certain Companions prayed behind him. Consequently, many scholars have deemed congregational Tahajjud permissible, while others consider it makruh (undesirable), except for the Tarawih prayer.

Keywords: Tahajjud, Tarawih, Congregation, Qiyam al-Layl, Witr.